Rain

The last 24 hours have been windy, wet, grey, and mostly uneventful. We had a few squalls and encountered several long-liners that seemed a bit suspect, but otherwise, it was pretty quiet.

There was one moment of excitement, though. We were shaking out a reef, which meant Rhona was standing under the boom while I was on the coach roof prepping things and getting the sail ready to be hoisted. When Rhona started to raise the sail with the winch, about 100 liters of rainwater that had pooled in the sail poured directly over her head! It wasn't a steady stream like a shower; it was more like a ginormous bucket had been tipped over her head.

 I also found one of my pesky nemeses in the main - a flying fish! It must have been 15 feet in the air when it hit the sail and fell into the sail cover. I cant say I am overly enthused about being attacked daily by smelly flying missiles like when we crossed the Pacific a few months ago.

The weather to the south wasnt looking too peachy, so our tactic yesterday was to head towards the poor weather as that was our most favourable course until the wind started to increase. Then as it picked up to low 30s we gybed to head NW, as the weather maps were showing the wind was going to swing around to the north, enabling us to head west again which we are now doing.

Note to self: next time it rains, put a reef in the main and ask Rhona to help take it out.